Railway lock-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. WILSON & H. HAIN. RAILWAY LOOK SWITCH.

Patented Dec. 12, 1 893,;

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Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

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STATES PATENT FFICE.

RAILWAY LOCK-SWITCH.

V SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,750, dated December 12, 1893. A

Applicationfiledtl'uly 5,1893.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it knownithat we, JoHN WILSON and. HENRY HAIN, both of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have'invented new and useful'Improvements in-Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

In a railroad switch, the essential feature of this invention consists in a horizontal.

swinging segment or quadrant of a circle, be- 1ng positioned to present suitable surfaces for a depending arm retained on a car in front of the wheels, to contact such surfaces respectively, in such a manner as to cause such quadrant to swing on its axis, and.to both make a clearance for said depending arm, and to actuate suitable levers orrods beneath such quadrant, adapted to ship the switch blade and to automatically release said switch blade before being shipped and to lock said switch blade after being shipped, and the object of this invention is to obviate the necessity of having to employ individual switchmen.

In the drawings forming a part of this application Figure 1, represents a plan View of the invention, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4, are cross sectional views of Fig. 1, taken on or about the line :10, w, drawn on said Fig. 1, which said sectional views illustrate the several positions of the switch mechanism. 1 I The switch mechanism case is designed to nclose the switch operating mechanism, as illustrated by the drawings, to protect such from the effects of dirt, 850., and this case as a whole has other features which will presently appear. The top surface of the covering of the case is roughened or can so be as represented by the figure (1), to prevent slipping thereon as is usually done on other surfaces for the same purpose. In the drawings this case cover vconsists of two sections (2) and (3) bolted by ordinary bolts (4) tothe box portion (5). These two sections have their divisional ends respectively overlapplng each other as represented by (6) which is to make one set of bolts secure both said ends which are so secured to the cross-piece (7) secured to the box portion as shown by the said drawings.

serial No. 479.634. (No modeL) (8) represents elevated surfaces from the plane of the section covering plate (2) which are so'situated as shown by thedrawings especially Fig. 1, for to guard the device (A) above the'lower plane of said section plate. These raised surfaces are in height sufficient to cause vehicle wheels to mount and pass over the plane of the device (A) above mentioned, in any direction, and such elevations are further designed so as to permit said vehicle wheels to ride over their surfaces with ease by causing their outward sides to thecase to incline as shown by the drawings, and these elevated surfacesor parts are still further designed to form passages (9) and (10) with curved entrances which are to permit a depending arm, represented by (11) more fully described later on, to pass through said passages or ways, which have always the device (A) across their way respectively, 2'. e. alternately, or across either one or the otherspath. This device (A) which will be more fully recognized hereinafter is axially engaged with the aforesaid cover portion (2) equal to the center of the Width between the outer sides of both passages aforesaid, so as to efficiently swing onsuch center to respectivelycross the path of aforesaid passages which are in width too narrow to permit the wheels of vehicles to enter. The other case covering section (1) is designed so as to complete the junction of two track rails as representedby (l2) and also 'to permit the switching blade (J) to efficiently perform its function.

Having now described the features of our switch mechanism containing case the following matter will relate the movable means to actuate the switch blade (J): This depending arm above mentioned, and merely shown in detail in'the accompanying drawings as represented by the figures (11), should be situated rigidly in a vertically movable manner at both ends of a car in front of the truckwheels to enable the manipulator'to either cause such depending arm to engage the straight part of the device (A) to operate the switch mechanism, or to permit such arm aforesaid to clearly pass over (not engagedly) the said device, before the first wheels of the car engage the switching point of the track. Further it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate any one application of the means that can be variably designed to act as a shipper on the front of a car to operate the aforesaid device (A) other than the depending portion (11), which, let it be understood represents a stationary or a vertically movable means in detail to cause the said device to swing on its axis to ship the switch blade. This device (A) more properly should be termed a segment or quadrant of a circle which will be hereinafter so termed. (8) rep resents the vertical shaft to which is rigidly secured the aforesaid quadrant also the arm (C) which has the elongated slot (0) therethrough. (13) and (14) are the aforesaid shaft bearings. In the above elongated slot (0) works the vertical stud or pin (D) and to this stud are engaged the horizontal rods or levers (E) and (F). The formeris the key lever to this mechanism, and the latter is the switch operating connecting rod. The key rod is engaged with the vertical stud (0) so as to travel or move the complete throw created by the arm (0) through the quadrant (A) while the underneath connecting rod aforesaid is designed to lay a portion of the complete throw aforesaid by having the elongated slots (f) and f) equal in length engaging the aforesaid stud and the depending stud (e) which is secured to, or is a part of the key lever, of which the object will presently appear. The opposite end of the key lever or rod to that which engages to stud (C) has a A shaped head designed to act as operating inclined planes with the locking lever (G) that has corresponding walls (9) to engage such head forsuch purpose. These A shaped walls on the locking lever are located to equal the complete traveling distance of the key rod so that when the key rod has been oppositely moved or the switch been shipped as clearly represented by Figs 2 and 3, the locking lever will be in looking engagement with the connecting rod as illustrated by said views. This locking lever has one end pivotally retained on the vertical uprights (15) as represented by (g'), and the other end, which is the swinging end, depending vertically and of such length as to enter through the openings or holes (P) on the aforesaid connecting rod, which said holes are in width apart equal to the throw of the switch tongue (J). The above uprights (15) also act as with the uprights (16) to guide the movement of aforesaid levers, and which have also the cross-portions (17) beneath the connecting rod for such to move on but which is optional.

(H) represents the switch blade moving lever which is rigidly secured to the switch blade vertical shaft (I) and suitably engaged with the other end of the connecting rod, and to this vertical shaft (I) is secured as shown, the switch blade aforesaid, thus completing the association of parts to this invention.

(1 S) and (19) represent the aforesaid switch blade shafts bearings. \Vhen the depending arm or rod (11) engages either of the two straight sides of the segment (A) as shown in the drawings it will be seen that such segment or quadrant will be caused to swing on its axis and to first move the key rod suffi cient to swing upward the locking lever and by such, effect releasement of the connecting rod as represented by Fig. 4, which said connecting rod is then moved the remainder of the throw to ship the switch tongue which 1s represented as having been done by Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Having now described our invention, we claim 1. In a switch, the combination with a suitable switch mechanism case or frame, of a sector or quadrant of a circle secured to a vertical shaft horizontally above the top surface of said case or frame, such shaft having suitable bearings on the case, an arm secured to said vertical shaft, a connecting rod suitably connecting said arm and a switch blade moving lever, such lever being secured to a vertical switch blade shaft, such shaft having suitable bearings on said case or frame, and the switch blade or tongue being secured to said vertical shaft operatively, substantially as described. I

2. In a switch, the combination with a suitable switch mechanism case or frame, of a sector or quad rant of a circle secured to a vertical shaft horizontally above the top surface of said case or frame, such shaft having suitable bearings on the case or frame, levers or rods operatively engaging each other, the said case or frame, the aforesaid vertical shaft and a vertical switch blade shaft so as to reciprocally unlock, oppositely shlp and lock the switch blade automatically, the switch blade being secured operatively to said vertical shaft, and such shaft having suitable bearings on aforesaid case or frame, substantially as described.

3. In a switch, a switch mechanism case, such having suitable raised surfaces to shield a swinging switch actuating sector, and provided with the switch part of the track, and with suitable lever guide trunnions, 15 and 16 a sector or quadrant of a circle secured to a vertical shaft, said vertical shaft having suitable bearings on aforesaid case, an arm secured to said vertical shaft, said arm hav1ng a slot therein, a vertical pin engaging said arm in said slot, a connecting rod connect ng said vertical pin and a switch'blade moving lever, said connecting rod having suitable slots therein for aforesaid vertical pin and a depending stud to engagedly enter, also sultable holes spaced apart equal to the throw of the switch blade, the switch blade having its other end secured to a vertical switch blade shaft, such shaft having suitable bearings on aforesaid case, and the switch blade being secured to said shaft, substantially as specified, in combination with a-rod having one shaped rod head, substantially asand for the end engaging aforesaid vertical pin, and the purpose described. opposite end provided with a A shaped head, and a depending-stud, a locking arm having 5 one end pivotally retained by the case and the opposite end designed to enter the afore- Witnesses: said connecting rod, and said arm having THOMAS W. HOBDAY, suitable surfaces to engage the aforesaid JOHN A. WRIGHT. 

